Here are some rhymes and poems I found that are generally about cleanliness, keeping clean or washing up…

First, here’s a traditional nursery rhyme that mentions having a clean face:

The Clock

There’s a neat little clock,
In the schoolroom it stands,
And it points to the time
With its two little hands.

And may we, like the clock,
Keep a face clean and bright,
With hands ever ready
To do what is right.

This next rhyme is about washing feet:

Marguerite

Marguerite, go wash your feet;
The board of health is ‘cross the street.

Here’s a song you can sing when washing up or brushing teeth:

This is the Way We Wash our Hands
(To the tune of Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush)

This is the way we wash our hands
Wash our hands, wash our hands,
This is the way we wash our hands
In the afternoon (or “To keep us very healthy”)

(You can continue with washing other body parts or substitute the line “This is the way we brush our teeth”.)

Here’s a song about washing away germs:

GERMS!

Wash your face and hands with soap,
Wash them every day!
Keeping clean by using soap
Will help keep germs away

Finally, below you’ll find an old poem called Cleanliness by Charles and Mary Lamb from around 1874. First I’ve given a shortened version that I found and after that you’ll find the full, longer version of it:

Cleanliness

All-endearing cleanliness,
Virtue next to godliness,
Easiest, cheapest, needfull’st duty,
To the body health and beauty;
Who that’s human would refuse it,
When a little water does it?

Here’s the longer version:

Cleanliness

Come, my little Robert, near-
Fie! what filthy hands are here!
Who, that e’er could understand
The rare structure of a hand,
With its branching fingers fine,
Work itself of hands divine,
Strong, yet delicately knit,
For ten thousand uses fit,
Overlaid with so clear skin
You may see the blood within,-
Who this hand would choose to cover
With a crust of dirt all over,
Till it look’d in hue and shape
Like the forefoot of an ape!
Man or boy that works or plays
In the fields or the highways,
May, without offence or hurt,
From the soil contract a dirt
Which the next clear spring or river
Washes out and out for ever-
But to cherish stains impure,
Soil deliberate to endure,
On the skin to fix a stain
Till it works into the grain,
Argues a degenerate mind,
Sordid, slothful, ill-inclined,
Wanting in that self-respect
Which does virtue best protect.
All-endearing cleanliness,
Virtue next to godliness,
Easiest, cheapest, needfull’st duty,
To the body health and beauty;
Who that’s human would refuse it,
When a little water does it?

If you know of any songs, rhymes, poems, or sayings about cleanliness or washing up, please let us know about them in the comments below.

51 Responses to “Poems, Songs and Rhymes about Cleanliness and Washing Up”

Here’s a very old rhyme I found about being washed and about being dirty (it’s hard to imagine someone writing it nowadays):

BEING WASHED.

” WHAT ! cry, little Boy, when you’re washed !
To be sure,” said Mamma, “you’re in joke !”
Then Edward looked up much ashamed,
And was quiet as soon as she spoke.
“Why, would you be dirty,” said she,
” And keep filthy clothes on to wear ?
Who’d kiss my dear Boy’s pretty face ;
Or love him, or like to come near ?
Be washed then, and made a nice child.”
And offering her hand, as she stood,
He kissed her, and smiled at his Nurse,
And promised them both he’d be good.

i have no comments but this poem i remember is bits of paper-
Bits of paper, Bits of paper
lying on the floor, lying on the floor
pick them up, pick them up……………………………………
please if you remember please reply

Hey, thanks for the help with the rhymes! Here is a song I found this week:
Wash, wash, wash, your hands play our handy game rub and scrub, scrub and rub germs go down the drain HEY! Wash, Wash, Wash your hands play our handy game rub and scrub, scrub and rub dirt goes down the drain HEY! (on the melody of “row, row, row your boat…gently down the stream…)

there a song Ihad learnt and forgotten it goes like this”we got to have clean hands(cllap clap) we got to have clean hands(clap calp). the reason why i sing this song is we want a land that clean and strong that why we have to have clean clean hands.
does any one know more

(I just made this up so bare with me. Also used one of the one liners mentioned above)

have a place for everything and everything in its place
you found the kitchen neat dont leave it a disgrace
when you done on the counter, the stove and the floor
wipe up all your crumbs, your oils, and spills galore

Healthly children everywhere,
Exercise and breathe fresh air,
Soap and water we have seen,
They keep hands and faces clean.
Healthy children often smile,
As they stop to rest a while,
Learning each day as they should,
To take time to eat pure food.
Healthy children bow to you,
We are very happy too,
See the tooth brush on parade,
Of the germs we’re not afraid.
Healthy children all in turn,
Say we have so much to learn,
To stay healthy is the best plan,
And we all know that we can.
Healthly children everywhere,
Exercise and breathe fresh air.

*****

Song to the tune of Oh Dear! What Can the Matter Be?

I Oh dear, what is the remedy,
Oh dear, what is the remedy,
Oh dear, what is the remedy,
Children so careless are we,
We promised to brush all our teeth every morning,
We promised to brush all our teeth every morning,
We promised to brush all our teeth every morning,
We’re very forgetful you see.

2 Oh dear, what shall become of us,
Oh dear, what shall become of us,
Oh dear, what shall become of us,
Poor health will folllow we know,
To take frequent baths now we all have had warning,
To take frequent baths now we all have had warning.
To take frequent baths now we all have had warning,
We’ll not longer be careless as can be.

*****

Towels and soap, where there’s life there’s hope,
That children will keep clean.
Towels and soap, where there’s life there’s hope,
To try for Good Health we mean.

*****

Little tooth brushes clean and new.
We can never stand abuse,
But were made for daily use.

I am so fed up with people going to toilet and Not washing their hands,
so I am busy with hanging rymhes and pictures in our little toilet to encourage people to wash their hands.
since there is no sink in the toilet room visitors have to come to the kitchen and ask if they can wash their hands, which i really appreciate.
Can any of you provide a rhyme which contains something as;

Water, soap and fresh towel … ask in the kitchen
Free of charge!

I know it doesn’t sound good,
but since English is not my mothertongue, rhyming is rather difficult that is why i am asking your help

I’m looking for the little quip that has the words “if it’s dirty clean it up”, “if it’s full, empty it”…etc. There are two are three more lines in this. I need to post a sign in my house that tells all the rules!

My mother created this concept when I was a child of “The Cleaning Fairy.” I started doing this with my kids and saw the huge results and benefits of it. I started sharing it with my friends and neighbors…and they all use it in their homes as well… their kids’ rooms are a non-issue now.

I wrote this concept into a storybook for my kids to have and to be able to share this fun cleaning trick with other moms (www.cleaningfairybook.com) as it is SO much more fun than nagging and IT WORKS! :)

Here is a little sample of the beginning of story rhyme:

A room full of toys
in disarray
showed careless chaos
and signs of decay.

A tired mommy
sat down to cry;
she’d tried coaxing and bribing
and giving “the eye.”

She’d threatened and yelled
’till her voice would boom,
begging her children
to pick up their room.

Finally exhausted
she let out a sigh,
familiar to ears
of the fairy nearby.

This fairy arrived
when she heard Mommy’s cries,
and then climbed up her knee
to look in her eyes.

The fairy’s eyes glistened
as she gave a warm smile,
and revealed a secret
that’s been proven worthwhile…